U.S. Sen. Carl Levin / Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images

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Associated Press

The Michigan Democrat is the keynote speaker during the ceremony today at the small, private college in southeastern Michigan. The university says he will receive an honorary degree recognizing his accomplishments.

Levin is chairman of the Senate Ahowbrmed Services Committee and was first elected in 1978.

He announced in March that he would not seek re-election in 2014 — setting the stage for a wide-open race to replace the longest-serving senator in Michigan history.